Q1 '09 - What We're Seeing

From the looks of it, everyone's in full spring-cleaning mode. New and existing clients are brightening their product/service lineups, polishing up their printed materials, dusting off their marketing plans and sprucing up their physical and virtual identities. As mentioned in an earlier post, many are also remodeling the effectiveness of their sales meetings.

Simply put, your peers in industry are busy and moving forward. We hope you are, too. It's definitely not a time to be caught flat-footed.

We're also seeing a renewed sense of responsibility on a fiscal basis. Although businesses are certainly investing in marketing efforts -- our first quarter sales were well ahead of last year and nearly at '07 levels -- they're doing so prudently and wanting to monitor the return on that investment. We're helping with that evaluation, as well, and we believe it's wise.

This uptick in spending isn't confined to one industry, either. We're seeing it in health care, agribusiness, construction, manufacturing, transportation and engineering. It's widespread. So consider this your fair warning to get started on a spring cleaning of your own ... before your business is left in the dust.

How Are Your Sales Meetings?

In light of the current economy, it's a valid question to ask. In fact, it's one we're seeing business owners and leaders ask of themselves ... and they've asked us to help.

We've recently added two new clients who look to us to help in leading, facilitating, documenting and scheduling their company's monthly sales meetings. Why?

• The company realized the meetings either weren't taking place or weren't productive
• The company wanted third party input to provide a fresh perspective
• Our involvement injected marketing and public relations expertise into their discussions
• They wanted accountability and someone to ensure people deliver on their monthly promises (that's us)
• The company realizes that now, more than ever, regular and EFFECTIVE sales meetings are a must for all businesses

So, they gave us a call. And frankly, it works great. We meet on a regularly scheduled basis with the company owner/leader and his or her sales team. We brainstorm, report on progress, identify opportunities and document promises for the coming month. As these meetings progress, we're seeing greater internal company sharing and cooperation, as well. It's true team building in challenging times.

If other priorities have derailed the regularity or effectiveness of your sales meetings, give us a call. We can get you back on track.

We're So Proud of Casara!

The newest member of our team, Casara Heaton, has already notched a first for our agency. A piece of Casara's work will be featured at the Human Nature - His/Hers exhibition at Art St. Louis. Casara is a graphic design specialist at Marketicity.

Casara's contribution to the exhibit is a diptict photo presentation (i.e., two photos) titled "Oops!" One of the two photos is included with this blog entry. The exhibit was juried by Bruno David, owner of Bruno David Gallery in St. Louis, and artist Lindsey Stouffer, visiting assistant professor at the Washington University Sam Fox School of Design and Visual Arts in St. Louis.

The opening reception for the exhibit is this Saturday evening, Jan. 17th, from 6:00-8:00 p.m. Art St. Louis is located at 555 Washington Avenue, Suite 150. Feel free to join us there in congratulating Casara or stop by during the month-long exhibit to see her work. The exhibit runs Jan. 19- Feb. 19, 2009.

Way to go, Casara!